Meeting quarterly, this informal support group serves adoptive families and those considering fostering or adopting.

Together we help each other with resources, training, connections, and have fun doing so!

Click here or contact Mark McLemore for more information.

The CrossBridge adoption and foster care ministry exists to be a connecting point for families and individuals who have been touched by God's call to care for orphans in their distress (James 1:27) and to promote a "wrap around" approach where the entire body of Christ is encouraged, empowered and equipped to be involved with supporting families that have adopted.

We meet on the second Sunday of every month during our second service and welcome any interested families to join us. We would love the opportunity to pray with you, answer questions, and share our experiences.

We desire that people move toward foster care and adoption with “eyes wide open.” We want people to know the good, the bad, the difficult, and the all-surpassing hope of Christ to bring healing and wholeness to our children. We desire to provide a safe place to share the joys and the struggles of adoption as we support each other through prayer.

If you are considering adoption or foster care, please contact us. We have families that have experience with international, domestic, and foster adoptions that would love to support you on your journey.

As you continue your journey we encourage you to check out the books:

• Adopted For Life – The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches
• Fields of the Fatherless – Discover the Joy of Compassionate Living

In addition, check out our parenting page for more resources to help you along this journey.

TruLight127 provides specialized training and guidance to help you provide a nurturing and stable home for children who have been abused or neglected.

We are always in need of parents and families who can provide:

• Homes for sibling groups of two or more
• Homes for children of all racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds
• Homes for children with behavioral, emotional, or physical special needs
• Homes for teenagers

Why Choose TruLight127?

• A professional case management team to help you through the process and support for you throughout your time with TruLight127
• Experienced trainers who are knowledgeable in the child welfare system and the needs of the children served
• Access to the Shining Light Donation Center at the TruLight127 Office filled with clothing, hygiene products, school supplies, etc.
• Online support and training resources, including a website dedicated to the Foster Care and Adoption program
• On-going annual in-house training
• Opportunities for cultural events such as Kid's Day Out programs, Fall Festival's, Christmas Events, Spring Flings, etc.
  24/7 Parent Support for emergency situations
• Beautiful training and meeting facilities on the Jonathan's Place campus

A big part of the heart of TruLight127 is to support children in Kinship Homes.

For generations, extended families have played significant roles in rearing children when parents are having a difficult time. This is called Kinship Care by Child Protective Services (CPS). These are relatives and other people who the child or family have a significant relationship can often provide children with stability when they can't live with their birth parents.

Kinship caregivers are not given the same kind of support that foster families are given. They are often left struggling for resources. We want to support that family as much as we can so that the children placed there can stay in a stable family environment. We provide resources, trainings, and often license them so that they can receive the support that they need.

What Are the Benefits of Kinship Care?

• Provides love and care in a familiar setting
• Provides parents with a sense of hope that children will remain connected to their birth families
• Enables children to live with people they know and trust
• Reinforces a child's sense of cultural identity and positive self-esteem
• Helps a child make and sustain extended family connections
• Continues lifelong family traditions and memories
• Supports the child in building healthy relationships within the family
• Supports the child's need for safety and well-being;
• Creates a sense of stability in the life of a child

New Beginnings Children's Home is a non-profit agency providing valuable support and guidance through quality services to youth in Texas.

Our Mission

To provide a safe and therapeutic living environment for abused, neglected, and displaced children ages 5 to 17. The care we provide will promote emotional growth and recovery and prepare the children for family reunification.

Our mission is to provide a safe and therapeutic living environment for abused, neglected, and displaced children ages 5 to 17. The care we provide will promote emotional growth and recovery and prepare the children for family reunification.

Child victims of abuse, neglect or displacement, ages 5-17.

If you have a newborn, 60 days old or younger, that you’re unable to care for, you can leave your baby at a designated safe site with no questions asked. Your baby must be unharmed and placed into the arms of a safe site employee.

The Baby Moses law gives parents who are unable to care for their child a safe and legal choice to leave their infant with an employee at a safe site which includes;

• a hospital
• fire station
• emergency medical services (EMS) station

Please make sure you tell the employee that you want to leave your baby at a Safe Haven. You may be asked by an employee for family or medical history to make sure that your baby receives the care they need. 

*Remember, if you leave your unharmed infant at a Safe Baby Site, you will NOT be prosecuted for abandonment or neglect. Eagles Flight will continue to provide mothers and organizations with this information so we can help a mother make a safe choice.

This program is for mothers who unable to care for their babies (0-6 months).

We provide guided horseback riding, animal play, and sensory play to special needs, foster, and abused children. Through this summer therapy program, children learn to interact with the animals and gain the ability to interact independently with them.

Therapists and volunteers supervise children through this guided play. Children of all functioning levels are welcome. Siblings of special needs children are urged to participate. Lunch is served at the end of every session in a family-style setting. Specialized equipment and skilled volunteers ensure the safety of the children.

This program is for special needs, foster, and abused children and their siblings.

Click here for details

Please email reservations to [email protected]

Prices
$15 Children
$10 Additional Children

Boerne Blessings provides a safe haven for children and youth in crisis, encourages healing, and advocates in hope for children throughout south central Texas.

Unfortunately, child neglect and abuse happens right here in Boerne. To ensure children's safety, Child Protective Services removes children both temporarily and permanently throughout south central Texas.

There is currently not an emergency shelter that accepts children of all ages in Kendall county. When children are removed from their homes, sometimes they are transported to Houston or Dallas, and sometimes they sleep on the floor in a CPS office.

Boerne Blessings goal is to fill this great need and provide a safe haven to children in crisis. We serve all foster children in need of temporary shelter while their CPS caseworker attempts reunification with family members or placement within a foster home. 

Our mission is to offer healing and hope to children and families affected by abuse, abandonment, or neglect.

Our vision is for abused and neglected children to be empowered to grow up to be happy, productive, and caring adults.

Community-Based Care

Texas is implementing Community-Based Care (CBC) to improve the lives and outcomes of children in state care. CBC is a systems change and a new way of providing foster care and case management services. Key functions of the child welfare system shift from the state to contractors.

Within a geographic service area, a single source continuum contractor (SSCC) is responsible for finding foster homes for children in state care and, as the stages of service progress, providing them with a full continuum of services. Check out our video below or learn more here.

Our free programs help you give your child the best possible start!

We offer a variety of parenting support groups, information, and resources for families to help their children develop during the crucial early years of life.

Click here to see our family support resources.

One of the hallmarks of our program is that we have the ability to keep large groups of siblings together.

Located on a 10-acre campus in Bulverde, Texas, our Therapeutic Residential Foster Care program teaches our youth essential life skills through therapeutic relationship building.

These skills address social, emotional, and behavioral issues, and provide academic support and mentoring. We are proud to say that our 38-bed facility offers a very homelike feel and our youth can live with other children close to their age and stage.

Because of our unique setup, we are able to offer a home to children ages 5-21 years old, all of whom are in the managing conservatorship of the State of Texas.

Individual treatment plans, a homelike environment, and highly trained staff work together to help each child achieve their version of success. Many children come to us after multiple foster home placements - sometimes after as many as eight to twelve - and most arrive at least two years behind academically. Our dedicated staff works closely with the local school district to help them catch up with their peers.

We get churches engaged and working together.

Every Christian shares a biblical call to care for our community’s abused and neglected children. However, most church leaders and their families are largely unaware of the crisis and the many ways they can serve as part of the solution. Our proven ministry model ensures that the 90% of the church that will never take a child into their home understands the critical role they play in supporting the 10% who will. When the whole church body is serving and connected with community support and resources, we will be a community with a network of More than Enough for every child and family impacted by the foster care system.

Are you a foster, adoptive or kinship parent?

Do you feel alone or like your "normal" friends and family just don't understand?

Then come find your COMMUNITY! Our monthly support groups are a place to be encouraged and equipped alongside fellow foster, adoptive and kinship families.

Learn from our experienced leaders and fellow foster, adoptive and kinship parents as they discuss planned topics that will help you parent children from hard places. Also, enjoy the freedom to be honest with a group of other parents who can truly empathize. You will have the opportunity to connect with local resources and earn training hours if needed.

No family should walk this journey alone-we are better together.

Support groups are hosted throughout our area. All groups are open to any foster, adoptive or kinship family. Each group meets 10 times per year.

Please contact the support group coordinator for specific times and locations.

North East - Email Janai Kane.

North Central - Email Jocelyn Wilson.

North West - Email Delayna Wilkins.

Boerne - Email Maren Baker.

Healthy, supported foster, adoptive and kinship families are able to devote the time, energy and resources needed to help children heal.

We know from a robust body of research that a family environment improves healing, promotes normalcy in childhood and models healthy family life for children. Supporting those who serve abused and neglected children 24/7 is life-giving and critical to the child’s or youth’s healing process. With the community’s support, this is also the most cost-effective solution. Without support, roughly 50% of foster families quit after their first year often leading to children moving homes on average 2-6 times before permanency and costing the state three times more to house children in facilities. Together with The Alliance, you and your church can help solve this problem.

Everyone can be involved at some level. Here are 15 possibilities:

• Join a care community. Ask the alliance how you can join a care community near you to serve families and children in need.
• Become a certified babysitter. Verified babysitters are vital to health and endurance of foster and kinship families.
• Host trauma trainings. Equip your church members with the knowledge and training to responsibly address trauma.
• Host a support group. Provide an avenue for your core to give and receive life giving peer support.
• Become a vault keeper. Vault keepers organize donation and allow foster and kinship families ample time to shop.
• Cook meals. Help lighten the load by providing catered or home-cooked meals for your core.
• Donate business or talent. Consider donating auto repairs, handyman services, photography and much more.
• Provide lawn care. Gift families extra time to help children heal by maintaining their yards.
• Mentor a new foster family. Share your experience and helpful resources with new foster families in your community.
• Sponsor activities. From camp trips to club sports, your sponsorship will help children flourish in their community.
• Accept insurance. Medical and dental professionals can accept the insurance or offer discounts for foster families.
• Provide transportation. Help with busy schedules by providing rides to school, church, athletics practice and more.
• Donate needed items. Ask the alliance how you can help keep the vault filled with needed supplies.
• Donate time. No matter the task, donating your time can make a great difference.
• Donate money. Monetary donations help provide help where it is needed the most.

FBC will provide periodic evenings with childcare for foster families. Because childcare is an ongoing difficulty for foster families, this is an opportunity to give the parents a much-needed night off.

All volunteers are required to submit a background check form.

Contact us here for more information.

When you receive a new foster placement, we know that the needs that arise can be unpredictable. Maybe you need us to help with meals for a few weeks, or diapers and wipes, or school supplies, or someone to help with laundry. FBC is here to show up for you and your family.

Contact our ministry leader, Rachel Russo, to learn about the ways FBC can support you and your family.

Through an extensive program of care, counseling, medical treatment, therapy and education, our goal is for children between the ages of 10 and 17 to be restored, function in society, and mature into successful adults by providing a safe space for victims of human trafficking.

We exist to provide long-term care, rehabilitation, and healing for victims of modern-day slavery, sexual abuse, and sexual exploitation.

• Medical Care by Board Certified Pediatrician
• Assistance for drug and alcohol abuse to set each child up for long-term recovery
• Psychiatric Evaluation, treatment and continued monitoring
• Psychological and Trauma Counseling
• High Staff to Child Ratio
• Education – A curriculum plan will be developed based on each child’s specific needs. Credit recovery is a main priority.
• Daily Living Skills – Designed to prepare the girls for independent living, this program will teach personal care, housekeeping, proper nutrition, budgeting, and employment preparation.
• Mentorship Program
• Spiritual Needs – What sets Retreat 4 Kids apart from other programs is our belief that God can truly change lives forever. Our team serves all in need, regardless of their faith. We will assess each girl’s spiritual needs and offer opportunities for her to learn, grow and mature in her spiritual walk. And with help from our coalition of churches, we will provide a circle of Christian friends and mentors can help her transition to a new life.
• Equestrian Therapy
• Reunification with Family/Relatives – We will exhaust every opportunity to successfully reunite the victim with her immediate family or relatives when appropriate. If the child is unable to reunite with her family, we will seek foster care in a supportive and safe home. Or if the girl is of age, we will prepare her to live independently.
• Each child’s situation is evaluated and all avenues will be exhausted to best serve the child.

Victims of trafficking, sexual abuse, and sexual exploitation ages 10 - 17.

Email us for information on resident placements and referrals or for any other questions.

Pregnancy Options:

 It is very important that women receive accurate information in a safe environment. We are here to answer your questions and direct you to the appropriate resources. 

Adoption Referrals: 

 We have a network of credible and professional adoption agencies in the area to which we can refer you. In addition to a list of approved agencies, we provide free educational resources.

Click here to request an appointment or to contact us.

Services are free and confidential.

Free.

Our Adaya program helps youths without a permanent placement know they are valued and cherished.  Our personnel coaches engage with these young people, not just as therapists, but as partners to help them build attachment and start a journey towards healing.  Coaches are going to the youth, wherever their temporary placement is, to ensure they receive the trauma-responsive intervention they need and deserve.

When a placement is identified for these youth, Chosen's staff "follow the child," helping the transition to a family ensuring stability and higher success rates.  This essential component is critical to help youth heal in safe, loving, and permanent relationships.

Contact us here.

Chosen's Addy Program offers a comprehensive approach for adoptive parents and caregivers seeking to strengthen family bonds and support children with unique needs.  The program focuses on understanding the trauma experienced by children while acknowledging the profound losses they have endured.

Click here to learn more about our process.

Parents who have been separated from their children need support to create a stable environment  By walking the path of healing together, Chosen empowers families to build trust.  Home can become a place of safety, security, and hope.

Click here to contact us.

Fostering Connections is a program geared toward foster parents, recognizing the unique dynamics and challenges they face.  In the child welfare system, simply being involved can be traumatic.  At Chosen, we recognize this and are dedicated to helping children and foster families navigate the path to healing.

Click here to contact us. 

Families raising other relatives' children never expected to be parenting again.  Shifting roles with birth parents and financial hardship add to the challenges.  Our team helps you navigate tumultuous waters.  We help build bonds of trust.  We walk the path of healing together.

Click here to contact us.

The Kendall County Child Service Board is board-appointed by the Kendall County Commissioner’s Court. Our mission is to support the emotional and physical needs of children impacted by abuse or neglect and to celebrate, collaborate, and partner with those who serve at-risk children inside Kendall County.

We fill the gap by providing monetary support, education, training, and additional resources for families to encourage normalcy and safety for all children.

There’s no day like Valentine’s Day to make someone special know how you feel about them. Valentine’s day can be a unique opportunity to let the foster youth know how much they are loved.

At Day 1 Bags, we partner with the 10,000 enrolled students at Boerne ISD to deliver LOVE! We completed our 3rd annual #LoveDelivered Campaign, where the students donated thousands of Valentine’s Cards, Fuzzy Socks, Candy, and Warm Blankets and distributed them to local assisted living facilities and foster youth agencies. We want our lonely, forgotten, and isolated seniors and foster youth to know that we LOVE them – every day!

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

• Create your own handmade Valentine’s Card today.
• Shop our Amazon Wishlist for Fuzzy Socks or Blankets
• Purchase a therapy bear
• Mail your completed Valentine’s Cards to
  Day 1 Bags, c/o Hunter Beaton, 118 Lake Front Dr, Boerne, TX 78006

The A Serenity Activity Pack campaign is our thoughtful and considerate desire to make every encounter with the men and women who keep us safe in law enforcement, comforting, secure, and caring for all children. Many of the youth we have helped in the past have mentioned to us that their experiences with law enforcement have been negative because they are often dealing with traumatic events like domestic violence issues or removal of custody.

Therefore, they often attribute ill thoughts and feelings toward law enforcement. We want to change that stigma. The A Serenity Activity Pack (ASAP) Initiative was designed to give various law enforcement a bag filled with necessary supplies like fidget spinners, plush toys, coloring books, and wipes for police to give to children while encountering a situation. Please consider visiting our Facebook page for more images and details:

HOW YOU CAN HELP?

• Shop at our Amazon wishlist for items
• Purchase a therapy bear here
• Contact us for your law enforcement officers to receive ASAP bags ([email protected])

Our annual Adopt a High School Senior from Foster Care Campaign is one of the most ambitious and necessary initiatives we run at Day 1 Bags.

We are dedicated to finding and supplying every single foster child who is graduating from high school with a high-quality duffle bag, rolling backpack, hand-stitched quilt, stainless steel water bottle, a $100 gift card, and so many more gifts.

Foster youth are significantly less likely to graduate high school and finish their education based on individuals who care for one or two parents—less than 50% of all foster youth graduate with a high school diploma. Even then, those who do graduate are not given the proper celebrations and gifts they deserve. Many haven’t the family or community to celebrate their accomplishments.

This simple fact is precious and is why we have created the Adopt a Senior Campaign. With your help, we can ensure that every senior in Texas (or your current state) has their foster seniors graduating with the necessary supplies to help them in their future college, trade, or career. Please visit the link below to visit our information Facebook page.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

• Follow our Facebook to see how you can help.
• Purchase items on our Amazon Wishlist
• Do You Sew?

Do you need backpacks or duffel bags for the foster youth you serve?

All Day 1 duffel bags (small and large) and backpacks are FREE to non-profits, churches, social groups, and school groups serving foster children, foster teens, and aged-out foster youth. Not only that, but these bags have the best quality anyone could ever have, with a full lifetime warranty.

If you like your old bag and want to save it, we will do everything we can to get it back into shape. The Day 1 Bag products are guaranteed 100% against any defects in workmanship or materials for the product's life under regular use. Defective products will be repaired or replaced.

Click here to order your Day 1 Bag.

Free.

Day 1 Bags gives out special gifts such as Handmade quilts, zipper pouches, and utility totes as part of our Adopt a Senior Campaign. – We were surprised to have thousands of volunteers to help make personalized gifts for last year’s senior class. If you want to participate or make a gift, check out the links below

• Can you make a quilt for the upcoming graduates from foster care? Click here to sign up.
• Would you like to make a zipper pouch for the upcoming high school graduates from foster care? Click here to sign up.
• Would you like to make a utility tote for the upcoming high school graduates from foster care? Click here to sign up.
• Please email us if you cannot sew but can help in other ways, such as long arm quilting services, transporting quilts, volunteering at graduation parties, or photography services.

Click here for in-kind donations.

Heartland is a place that provides these children with a loving family, often in stark contrast to the neglectful environments they came from. Heartland is located on eighteen heavily wooded acres of land outside of Boerne, Texas in the world famous Texas Hill Country. It's a tranquil place where the air is fresh and the skies are beautiful. There are farm animals to help with child development for the more fortunate children that have the ability to venture outside of the home. There is individualized special care provided for the ones that have more medical needs and don't share the same blessings. Services are provided to the children from birth to eighteen years of age.

Heartland also assists families in the community that find themselves overwhelmed physically and financially with the special medical and developmental needs of their children. There is a great need when caring for handicapped and terminally ill children for education of parents and significant others. To be able to ask questions and receive understandable answers to these questions can lighten the burden that some of these families face on a day to day basis.

Ages: Birth - 18 yrs,